Les Bowen

STAFF WRITER

Les Bowen has covered the Eagles since 2002. Before that, he covered the Flyers for 13 years. He came to the Daily News from the Charlotte Observer in May 1983, just as the Sixers were winning the NBA championship. He thought, "Gosh, this sort of thing must happen all the time here."

As his teammates spent a pleasant, coolish morning on the NovaCare practice fields, DeSean Jackson was in Atlanta, a source close to Jackson said Monday, hanging with Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith. The source said Jackson plans to spend the rest of the week on his home turf of LA. No plans to attend any part of the final week of Eagles OTAs, which wraps up Thursday, although the source said DJax should be back in Philly next week.

Maybe professor Reid will let him make up the missed work then.

Or maybe, more likely, Reid will gloss over Jackson's absence when he addresses the media on Thursday, and then just forget the whole thing. This OTA is voluntary, Jackson was here last week anyhow, and everyone knows he wants his contract redone. The Eagles have said they agree that would be optimal, but restrictions pertaining to the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement make it complicated, and in the case of a low--base-salary player like Jackson with two years left on his deal, perhaps impossible.

Jackson has indicated several times he intends to be patient, he has made a number of offseason appearances on the team's behalf, and has even indicated he will not boycott training camp, but "patient" is not the same thing as "happy," which might be the message he is trying to send by finding other pressing business this week. UPDATE: Reports, including one by ESPN's Adam Schefter, contend that Jackson's absence is not contract-related.. Heck of a coincidence, though.

Also absent is corner Asante Samuel, apparently because of a death in his family. The guys who were sitting out by the end of last week because of what the Eagles said were minor injuries -- middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, running back LeSean McCoy and left guard Todd Herremans -- are still sitting out.

Bradley and McCoy ran sprints after practice with trainers and a few other injured players, such as tackle Fenuki Tupou (pec muscle) and center Jamaal Jackson (ACL). They seemed to be moving well.